Shou Lung
| type = | region = Kara-Tur, Toril | size = | elevation = | depth = | capital =Kuo Te' Lung | largest city =Karatin | georefs = | demonym =Shou | population = | races =Human | languages =High Shou | religion =The Way, Path of Enlightenment, Faith of the Nine Travelers | alignment = The Emperor of Shou Lung in 1357 DR, Kai Tsao Shou Chin, is cited as having lawful good alignment. | socrefs = | imports = | exports = Litchi fruit, ginger, noodles, rice candies, soya sauce, tea | currency = | comrefs = | government =Empire | rulertype =Emperor | ruler = | head of state = | leader1 = | head of government = | leader2 = | executive = | legislature = | judiciary = | allegiances = | govrefs = | established = | start event = | start date = | event1 = | date1 = | event2 = | date2 = | event3 = | date3 = | event4 = | date4 = | disestablished = | end event = | end date = | predecessor = | successor = | population1 = | popyear1 = | population2 = | popyear2 = | population3 = | popyear3 = | population4 = | popyear4 = | population5 = | popyear5 = | poptable = | ruler1 = | ruleryear1 = | ruler2 = | ruleryear2 = | ruler3 = | ruleryear3 = | ruler4 = | ruleryear4 = | ruler5 = | ruleryear5 = | rulertable = | histrefs = | usethe = | useon = | inhabitants = yes | locations = yes | organizations = yes | settlements = yes | roads = | mountains = | bodies of water = | forests = | events = | food and drink = yes | items = }} Shou Lung was a country and an empire in the continent of Kara-Tur, which was located to the east of Faerûn. People from Shou Lung were referred to as Shou. The demonym of the people of Shou Lung is not explicitly named, but they are referred to in this manner throughout canon. The name Shou Lung translates to "Receiver of the Dragon".in Mandarin Chinese: 受龙, shòu lóng; lit. "receive dragon" The Shou people believed that the Celestial One sent the Nine Great Dragons, or Nine Immortals, into the lands of men. These Nine Great Dragons were believed to hold up the world and move all things by their thoughts. Description Lying between Kara-Tur and Faerûn was the Dragonwall, a great wall of stone. According to legend, a wu jen was tasked by the emperor with finding a way to keep the Tuigan hordes from raiding Shou Lung's northern provinces. The wu jen stole the Jade Mirror from the sea dragon Pao Hu Jen, whose body was thousands of kilometers long. The wu jen led the dragon on a chase across the border, and at a certain point stopped and held up the Jade Mirror to the dragon's eyes, which instantly turned him to stone. After his petrified body fell to the ground, the emperor had his engineers carve fortifications into it so that it could serve them as a defensive wall. Government The official head of the government was the Emperor, but he was aided in his duties by the Chancellor, who executed the Emperor's decrees, oversaw the bureaucracy, and determined what information was worthy of reaching the emperor's ears. A wu jen was the emperor's official court wizard, who advised the Emperor with divinations and dealt with magical threats. Around 1357 DR, the emperor was Kai Tsao Shou Chin. The events detailed in the referenced text are in Shou reckoning, as 2607. By subtracting 1250 years, we come to 1357 DR. See Marking the Years for further details. The government was composed of seven ministries: State, War, Magic, Faith, Sea, Agriculture, and Public Works (though there were occasions where the Department of State Security was referred to as the Ministry of State security ). It was a meritocratic system; every year the Civil Service Examination held examinations to test candidates for government jobs. The Forbidden City was a walled compound that contained the Imperial Palace and the halls of government. Only governmental staff were allowed inside during the day, and during the night only the royal family and their domestic staff could remain; trespassers were punished by death. The nobility of Shou Lung were much weaker than those of most Faerûnian nations. They had less power than government ministers, and their private armies were kept small by law. They constantly schemed to wrest more power from the priesthood and bureaucrats. Appendix Notes Further Reading * External Links * References Category:Countries Category:Monarchies Category:Locations on the Yellow Sea Category:Locations on the Celestial Sea Category:Locations in Kara-Tur Category:Locations on Toril Category:Locations Category:Exports food and drink Category:Exports fruit Category:Exports spices